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I just wanted to add that my daughter has already been told by her first grade peers that you can't be a "good person" if you don't believe in god. That is simply absurd. I want my daughter to be "good" not because she fears punishment, but because she empathizes with other people, and because she understands the consequences of her actions.

Sometimes, making the "right decision" is easy. Share. Include the kid who is being left out. Always think about how your actions will impact on other people. Don't litter, even if no one is looking, because the garbage will either stay there, or someone else will have to pick it up.

Sometimes, making the "right decision" is hard. Sometimes there is not an easy answer. The world is not black and white. I'm actually really surprised by how many ethical choices a six year old needs to make in a given week. Do I tell on the kid who did something mean to somebody else? Do I tell a white lie to protect myself or somebody else? Do I pursue my passions, or abandon them briefly to help someone in need? And I am THRILLED that she brings home so many ethical dilemmas to dissect. Kids want to do the right thing. They really do. But if they are not given the tools as children to make ethical decisions, then they will not become ethical adults.

And the questions will only get more complex as she grows up. Do I side with the factory, that employs so many members of the community, and provides products that we all enjoy? Or do I side with the environmentalists, who are concerned about the impact of the pollution? Do I support freedom of expression, even when the exercise of that freedom causes others pain, and possibly danger? Am I willing to ask others to make sacrifices that will benefit me and a subset of society to which I belong, possibly at the expense of others?

I don't want to prescribe answers for my daughter. I want her to learn how to make her own decisions. Religion does not provide a framework for the complexities. It just doesn't.